INFORMATION SESSIONS. Zamboanga City's Risk Communications Team launches information sessions in different barangays to instill public awareness about water and food-borne, influenza-like illness, leptospirosis, and dengue. On Friday (Dec. 2, 2022), Dr. Dulce Amor Miravite, City Health Officer, says her office has recorded 141 cases of leptospirosis with 26 deaths since January 2022. (Photo courtesy of City Hall PIO)
ZAMBOANGA CITY – The City Health Office (CHO) has recorded 141 cases of leptospirosis with 26 deaths since January this year.
“We have a total of 26 deaths reported that gives as a case fatality rate of 18 percent,” Dr. Dulce Amor Miravite, CHO chief, said Friday.
Miravite said most of the infected individuals are aged between 20 and 29, while 120 or 86 percent of the 141 cases are males.
Miravite said 62 of the 141 cases were recorded after the two-day downpour of Typhoon Paeng on Oct. 27-28.
Dr. Elmeir Jade Apolinario, City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office chief, said earlier the flood affected 56 of this city’s 98 barangays.
Leptospiroris is caused by the Leptospira spirochetes bacteria that is spread through rat urine.
Its mode of transmission includes wading in contaminated floodwaters and ingesting contaminated food or water.
Miravite said most of the cases reported were in Barangay Tumaga, Pasonanca, Guiwan, Tetuan, Tugbungan, Santa Maria, Ayala, Talon-Talon and Tulungatung.
Meanwhile, the local government has launched information sessions in different barangays amid the increasing cases of leptospirosis here.
The information sessions are being conducted by the City Risk Communications Team to instill public awareness about water and food-borne, influenza-like illness, leptospirosis and dengue or WILD. (PNA)
